Dietary Intake Of Young Children Research Articles

Dietary Quality and Diet-Related Factors Among Emerging Adults (18–23 y) in the United States Are a Cause for Concern: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018

BackgroundPoor dietary quality is a risk factor for diet-related chronic disease and suboptimal nutritional patterns often begin early in the life course. Although the dietary intakes of young children, adolescents, and middle-aged and older adults are well established, much less is known about emerging adults, who represent a unique time point in life, as they are undergoing significant changes in food environments, autonomy, finances, and caregiver and parental involvement. ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine dietary quality, as assessed via the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), by demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related characteristics among emerging adults (18–23 y) in the United States who participated in the 2015–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). MethodsNHANES data were collected via a household interview and 2 24-h dietary recalls (24HR). Usual dietary intakes from the 24HRs were approximated using the multivariate National Cancer Institute Method to compute mean HEI-2015 overall and component scores (range: 0–100; higher scores indicating higher dietary quality). ResultsOverall dietary quality among emerging adults (HEI-2015: 50.3 ± 1.3) was significantly lower than other adults (≥24 y) (HEI-2015: 56.3 ± 0.5; P < 0.0001) in the United States, with differences primarily driven by lower intakes of whole fruit, vegetables, and whole grains and higher intakes of sodium, refined grains, and saturated fat. Few differences in HEI-2015 scores were noted across population subgroups by sex, food security, family income, and food assistance program participation, except for added sugar; intakes of added sugar were significantly higher among women, food insecure, and food assistance program participants than those in their counterparts, respectively. ConclusionsDietary quality is poor among emerging adults in the United States and persists across all population subgroups, suggesting a significant need for tailored public health interventions to improve dietary quality among this population. Future research investigating to what extent emerging adults prioritize healthful behaviors and exploring other indicators for identifying nutritionally vulnerable subgroups may be impactful for identifying disparities among this life stage.

Evaluation of the relationship between household economic situation and food group intake in children attending nursery school

Objectives The relationship between household income and dietary intake among older children and adults in Japan has been studied. However, few studies have examined the relationship in younger children, and we believe that this should be taken into consideration from early childhood to correct health disparities. In this study, we examined the relationship between family income and dietary food group intake, and investigated the adequacy of food intake based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top for young children aged 3 to 6 years attending nursery school. The goal of this study was to obtain trends in food intake that can be used to improve poor dietary intake of young children caused by socioeconomic factors.Methods A dietary survey using the food weighing or recording method and a self-administered questionnaire on dietary status were conducted on two non-consecutive days, including weekdays and weekends, from October to December 2019 or 2020. The participants were 761 young children (423 boys and 338 girls) attending nursery schools in seven cities in Japan. Equivalent income was calculated from household income and the number of family members indicated in the dietary status survey. Intake of each food group and consistency with the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top were compared in five quintiles.Results Compared to the low equivalent income group, the high equivalent income group showed a decreasing trend in cereal intake and an increasing trend in the intake of sugar and sweeteners, green and yellow vegetables, and dairy products. The percentage of the low-income group who did not meet the definition of adequate intake using the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top was lower for meals that include cereals and grain products, and higher for meals that include meat and fish, vegetable, milk and dairy products, and fruits.Conclusion The lower income group had higher intake of cereals and lower intake of vegetables and fruits compared to the higher income group. This finding is similar to the results of studies in adults and older children. However, based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, >90% of young children have a diet that fall below the adequate intake of meals, including vegetable dishes and even on weekdays, which suggests a general vegetable deficiency in young children. Multifaceted support is required to address this concern, including measures to correct disparities of income and to ensure desirable nutrient intake in early childhood.

Household-level consumption data can be redistributed for individual-level Optifood diet modeling: analysis from four countries.

A barrier to using Optifood linear programming (LP), which identifies nutrient gaps and supports population‐specific food‐based recommendation (FBR) development, is the requirement for dietary intake data. We investigated whether Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys (HCESs) could be used instead of individual‐level 24‐h recalls (24HRs). The 24HR data from 12‐ to 23‐month‐old breastfeeding children in rural Kenya, Uganda, Guatemala, and Bangladesh were paired with HCES food consumption data from similar areas (n = 8) and time periods. HCES food intakes (g/week) were estimated using adult male equivalents, adjusted for breastfeeding. Paired HCES‐ and 24HR‐defined LP inputs and outputs were compared using percentage agreement. Mean overall percentage agreements were 42%, 63%, and 80%, for food, food subgroup, and food‐group model parameters, respectively. HCES food lists were on average 1.3 times longer than 24HR. Similar nutrient gaps (77–100% agreement), food sources of nutrients (71–100% agreement), and FBRs (80–100% agreement) were identified. The results suggest that HCES data can be used in Optifood analyses for 12‐ to 23‐month‐old children, despite recognized challenges of using it to estimate dietary intakes of young children compared with older age groups. Further analyses, however, are required for different age groups and locations to confirm expectations that it would perform equally well.

Description of the home food environment in Black, White, Hmong, Latino, Native American and Somali homes with 5-7-year-old children.

To categorize the home food environment and dietary intake of young children (5-7 years old) from racially/ethnically diverse households using objectively collected data. Cross-sectional study. In-home observations in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. Families with 5-7-year-old children who identified as Black, White, Hmong, Latino, Native American or Somali. There were many significant differences by race/ethnicity for child dietary intake and for the home food environment, with specific patterns emerging by race/ethnicity. For example, Somali children had high Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) scores, but low daily intakes of fruits and vegetables. Black children had low HEI-2010 scores and a pattern of low intake of healthful foods and high intake of unhealthful foods. White and Latino families had high levels of both healthful and unhealthful home food availability and children with high HEI-2010 scores. Results indicate that the home food environment of young children varies across racial/ethnic group. Study findings also provide new information regarding the home food environment of young children in previously understudied racial/ethnic groups and indicate that interventions working to improve the home food environment and dietary intake of children may want to consider race/ethnicity.

Data Mapping From Food Diaries to Augment the Amount and Frequency of Foods Measured Using Short Food Questionnaires.

Collecting accurate and detailed dietary intake data is costly at a national level. Accordingly, limited dietary assessment tools such as Short Food Questionnaires (SFQs) are increasingly used in large surveys. This paper describes a novel method linking matched datasets to improve the quality of dietary data collected. Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) is a nationally representative longitudinal study of infants in the Republic of Ireland which used a SFQ (with no portion sizes) to assess the intake of “healthy” and “unhealthy” food and drink by 3 years old preschool children. The National Preschool Nutrition Survey (NPNS) provides the most accurate estimates available for dietary intake of young children in Ireland using a detailed 4 days weighed food diary. A mapping algorithm was applied using food name, cooking method, and food description to fill all GUI food groups with information from the NPNS food datafile which included the target variables, frequency, and amount. The augmented data were analyzed to examine all food groups described in NPNS and GUI and what proportion of foods were covered, non-covered, or partially-covered by GUI food groups, as a percentage of the total number of consumptions. The term non-covered indicated a specific food consumption that could not be mapped using a GUI food group. “High sugar” food items that were non-covered included ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, fruit juice, sugars, syrups, preserves and sweeteners, and ice-cream. The average proportion of consumption frequency and amount of foods not covered by GUI was 44 and 34%, respectively. Through mapping food codes in this manner, it was possible, using density plots, to visualize the relative performance of the brief dietary instrument (SFQ) compared to the more detailed food diary (FD). The SFQ did not capture a substantial portion of habitual foods consumed by 3-year olds in Ireland. Researchers interested in focussing on specific foods, could use this approach to assess the proportion of foods covered, non-covered, or partially-covered by reference to the mapped food database. These results can be used to improve SFQs for future studies and improve the capacity to identify diet-disease relationships.

Contribution of snacks to dietary intakes of young children in the United States

Nutritional quality of children's diets is a public health priority in the fight against childhood obesity and chronic diseases. The main purpose of this study was to determine contribution of snacks to energy and nutrient intakes and to identify leading snack food sources of energy, total fat, and added sugars amongst young children in the United States. Using the 2005-2012 NHANES data, dietary intakes of 2- to 5-year-old children were analysed from a parent-reported 24-hour dietary recall (n=3,429). Snacking occasions were aggregated to determine the proportion of total food/beverage intake obtained from snacks, estimate energy, and nutrient intakes, and identify the leading snack food sources of energy, added sugars, and total fat. Nearly all children consumed a snack on the reported day (62% morning, 84% afternoon, and 72% evening). Snacks accounted for 28% of total energy intake, 32% of carbohydrates, 39% of added sugars, and 26% of total fat and dietary fiber intakes for the day. Snacking occasions accounted for 46.6% of all beverages consumed on the reported day. Snacks and sweets food category (i.e., cookies and pastries) were the leading sources of energy (44%), total fat (52%), and added sugars (53%) consumed during snacking occasions. Sweetened beverages (e.g., fruit and sport drinks) contributed 1-quarter of all added sugars obtained from snacks. Snacks contribute considerable amount of energy and nutrients to young children's diets, with a heavy reliance on energy-dense foods and beverages. Targeted interventions are needed to improve the nutritional quality of snacks consumed by young children.

Disparities exist between the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the dietary intakes of young children aged two to three years

AbstractAimTo compare dietary intakes of young children to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) and Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs).MethodsDietary intakes of 54 children (50% girls) aged two to three years (mean 2.7 years) from the Women and Their Children's Health (WATCH) study were reported by mothers using a validated 120‐item food frequency questionnaire. Daily consumption of AGHE food group servings, macronutrients, and micronutrients were compared to the AGHE and NRVs using t‐test with significance set at P &lt; 0.05.ResultsNo child achieved all AGHE targets, with the majority consuming less breads/cereals (1.9 vs 4.0 servings/day), vegetables (1.3 vs 2.5), and meat/alternatives (0.7 vs 1.0), all P &lt; 0.0001. Adequate servings were observed for dairy (2.2 vs 1.5) and fruit (1.3 vs 1.0). Macronutrients were within recommended ranges, although 96% exceeded saturated fatty acid recommendations. Children who met selected NRVs consumed more fruit (1.4 vs 1.0; P &lt; 0.0086), dairy (2.2 vs 1.5; P &lt; 0.0001) and discretionary foods (2.6 vs ≤1.0; P &lt; 0.0001) but less breads/cereals (2.0 vs 4.0; P &lt; 0.0001) and vegetables (1.3 vs 2.5; P &lt; 0.0001) servings, compared to the AGHE recommended servings.ConclusionsChild dietary intakes did not align with AGHE, while adequate nutrient profiles were achieved by various dietary patterns. Future studies involving data from larger, representative samples of children are warranted.

The Characteristics of Young Children According to Dietary Supplement Use in Infancy: Data from the KNHANES IV and V (2009‐2012)

The interest of dietary supplement intake in early childhood is increasing. However, few studies have been conducted in Korea to examine the influence on health and growth. This study was conducted to assess the sociodemographic characteristics, health and growth outcomes, and dietary intakes of young children according to dietary supplement use in infancy. Data from 1,262 subjects aged 1‐3 years with 24hr diet recall data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2009‐2012) were analyzed. We compared the differences of sociodemographic characteristics, health and growth outcomes including diagnosed disease, perceived health state, current health problem, weight‐for‐age, height‐for‐age, and weight‐for‐height, and dietary intakes between supplement users and non‐users. The prevalence of supplement use was 34.4%. The supplement use was significantly higher in older children and children of mothers with lower education level or supplement use. No significant differences between groups were observed in dietary intakes and most of health and growth outcomes, however, children without diagnosed disease or with weight‐for‐age less than 10 percentile used supplement more than the counterparts. Therefore, the early supplement use may be related to age, diagnosed disease, weight‐for‐age, and mother's education level and supplement use. Further studies are needed to assess the influence of dietary supplement on the long term growth and health in Korean children.This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT &amp; Future Planning (grant no. 2013R1A1A2057600)

Study protocol of a parent-focused child feeding and dietary intake intervention: the feeding healthy food to kids randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundPoor childhood nutrition is a more pervasive and insidious risk factor for lifestyle-related chronic disease than childhood obesity. Parents find it difficult to address the reported barriers to optimal child feeding, and to improve child dietary patterns. To impact at the population level, nutrition interventions need to be easy to disseminate, have a broad reach and appeal to parents while overcoming the barriers parents face when trying to improve child feeding behaviours. The Feeding Healthy Food to Kids (FHFK) Randomised Control Trial (RCT) examines the impact of providing low cost, self-directed nutrition and parenting resources to rural parents, on child dietary intake and parent–child feeding practices.Methods/DesignUp to 150 parents of two-to-five year old children will be recruited in five rural Australian towns. Eligible, consenting parents will be randomly allocated to intervention or 12-month wait-list control groups. Intervention group parents will receive an interactive nutrition CD and parenting DVD, and be provided with instructions for optimal resource utilisation. Intervention and control group participants will also receive a generic nutrition and physical activity brochure and a physical activity resource to blind participants to group allocation. Primary outcome measures are dietary intake of vegetables (serves/day), fruit and energy dense nutrient poor foods (serves/day and %Energy). Secondary outcome measures are total energy (kCal), other food groups (serves/day and %Energy), key nutrients (mg/day), child feeding domains and parenting style domains.Analysis of dietary outcome measures, child feeding and parenting domains will be conducted on an intention-to-treat basis and compared at baseline, three and 12 months using the random effects model, using STATA software. Details of the methodological aspects of recruitment, inclusion criteria, randomisation and statistical analysis are described.DiscussionThis paper will add to existing research examining child feeding practices and dietary intake of young children, by specifically focusing on the efficacy of an RCT that has the potential to be implemented at a population level. The correlation of the RCT outcomes with parents’ perceptions about child feeding practices and children’s dietary intake of their children in a subsequent qualitative study will further contribute to this emerging area of research.Trial registrationAustralian Clinical Trials Registration Number: ACTRN12609000356268

The Relationship between Child and Parent Food Hedonics and Parent and Child Food Group Intake in Children with Overweight/Obesity

Many factors influence children's dietary intake, including children's and parents' food hedonics (liking), and parent intake. This secondary data analysis studied the relationship between child and parent liking, and parent intake and child intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, snack foods, and sweetened beverages in 4- to 9-year-old overweight/obese (body mass index ≥85th percentile) children presenting for obesity treatment (September 2005 to September 2007) in Providence, RI. One hundred thirty-five parent-child pairs, with complete baseline dietary (3-day food record) and food group hedonic data were included. Hedonic ratings were mean ratings using a 5-point Likert scale (lower scores represented greater liking of a food group). Children were aged 7.2±1.6 years, 63.0% girls, 12.6% African American, and 17.8% Hispanic, with a mean body mass index z score of 2.3±0.6. Total servings consumed by children over 3 days were: fruits 2.7±3.2, vegetables 3.4±2.5, low-fat dairy 2.4±2.1, snack foods 5.9±4.2, and sweetened beverages 2.7±3.1. After demographic and anthropometric variables were controlled, parent intake was positively related ( P<0.05) to child intake of all food groups except sweetened beverages. Child liking was only significantly ( P<0.05) related to child intake of vegetables. In young children with obesity/overweight, parent intake was consistently related to child intake. Changing parent intake may be important in helping to change the dietary intake of young children with overweight/obesity.

Estimation of portion size in children's dietary assessment: lessons learnt

Assessing the dietary intake of young children is challenging. In any 1 day, children may have several carers responsible for providing them with their dietary requirements, and once children reach school age, traditional methods such as weighing all items consumed become impractical. As an alternative to weighed records, food portion size assessment tools are available to assist subjects in estimating the amounts of foods consumed. Existing food photographs designed for use with adults and based on adult portion sizes have been found to be inappropriate for use with children. This article presents a review and summary of a body of work carried out to improve the estimation of portion sizes consumed by children. Feasibility work was undertaken to determine the accuracy and precision of three portion size assessment tools; food photographs, food models and a computer-based Interactive Portion Size Assessment System (IPSAS). These tools were based on portion sizes served to children during the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. As children often do not consume all of the food served to them, smaller portions were included in each tool for estimation of leftovers. The tools covered 22 foods, which children commonly consume. Children were served known amounts of each food and leftovers were recorded. They were then asked to estimate both the amount of food that they were served and the amount of any food leftover. Children were found to estimate food portion size with an accuracy approaching that of adults using both the food photographs and IPSAS. Further development is underway to increase the number of food photographs and to develop IPSAS to cover a much wider range of foods and to validate the use of these tools in a 'real life' setting.

Achieving genetic potential for nutrition and growth in cystic fibrosis

Achieving genetic potential for nutrition and growth in cystic fibrosis

Dietary intake of pre‐adolescent children in Greece

The traditional Greek diet, a variant of the Mediterranean diet, has attracted the interest of scientists for many years as a health promoting nutritional model. Many studies have shown that Mediterranean food habits are associated with low rates of ischaemic heart disease and of various types of cancer. Although some data exist on the dietary intakes of young children and adolescents, there are no data regarding dietary intakes and food habits of pre‐adolescents in Greece. The present study tries to partly cover this gap by studying the anthropometric characteristics, dietary intakes and food habits of 65 pre‐adolescent children, aged ten to 12 years. The results of this study show the gradual abandonment of the traditional diet by pre‐adolescent children, in Greece, in favour of a more Westernized diet. They also show the urgent need for nutrition education in order to try to reverse this trend.v

Factors influencing total dietary exposures of young children.

A deterministic model was developed to identify the critical input parameters needed to assess dietary intakes of young children. The model was used as a framework for understanding the important factors in data collection and data analysis. Factors incorporated into the model included transfer efficiencies of pesticide from surfaces to food, transfer efficiencies of pesticide from surfaces to hands to food, and more accurate microactivity data related to contact frequency for the three variables of interest--hands, surfaces, and food. Results from range-finding measurements of transfer efficiencies using an aqueous pesticide solution of a mixture of malathion, diazinon, and chlorpyrifos sprayed on the surfaces indicate that a higher pesticide transfer occurred from hard surfaces to food (hardwood, plastic), with low transfer from soft surfaces (carpet, cloth). Six children, all less than 4 years old, were videotaped to obtain realistic contact frequency and times for the interaction of hands, surfaces, and foods during eating meals and snacks while in their homes or day care centers. The time range of eating events varied from about 2 to 55 min, with an average of about 20 min. The average number of contact frequencies between food and hands was 19 times for each eating event, with a range of 10-40. Contacts between the surface and hand were about the same as the food and hands. Contacts between foods and surfaces ranged from 0 to 32, but only five or less of the contacts per eating event were associated with surfaces other than eating utensil. The children's microactivity data collected during the eating events, together with the laboratory results from the transfer studies, were provided as input into a Monte Carlo simulation of the dietary ingestion model. Simulation results indicate that children's handling of the food could contribute 20-80% of the total dietary intake of pesticides. Dietary exposure due to residues in the food before handling accounted for 16% and 47%, respectively, of the total mean intake from simulations for a child's consumption of an apple or banana. These results indicated that transfer efficiencies for foods on various surfaces typically found in homes as well as children's hand contacts with the food and surfaces are important as determinants of dietary exposure.

An Examination of the Dietary Intakes of Preschool Children in Military Families

LEARNING OUTCOME: To determine nutrient intakes of 3-5 year old children in military families A large body of evidence has established that there is a relationship between dietary patterns and risk for chronic disease. The dietary intake of young children sets the stage for life-long habits. The purpose of this study was to estimate nutrient intakes of a subset of preschool children in military families. Results were compared to the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and to the USDA 1994 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals (CSFII). Twenty-four hour recalls were collected at two Air Force installations, one in Japan and one in the state of Washington. Recalls were collected by using the Multiple Pass Approach developed by the USDA. Data collection forms were modified for this sample. The nutrient content of all foods was determined by the Food Intake Analysis System (FIAS). The mean intakes of the children exceeded 66 2/3% of the RDA. The mean intakes of military children were significantly higher than the USDA 1994 CSFII for the following nutrients: energy, protein, vitamin A(RE), calcium phosphorous, iron, and potassium at the p <.05 level; thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, magnesium, copper and sodium at the p <.01 level; and carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamin B6 and folate at the p <.001 level. Overall the results from this sample of military children was very positive. Nutrition education which is targeted to the families of these children and their civilian counterparts will enhance the positive dietary patterns so that they will truly become life-long habits

Dietary Intake of Young Children in America Compared With Recommendations

Dietary Intake of Young Children in America Compared With Recommendations

Dietary Intake of Young Children in America Compared With Recommendations

Dietary Intake of Young Children in America Compared With Recommendations